Bucket head mining machine having roof engaging anchor and conveyor



Oct. 31, 1967 c A. V\4/ILMS 3,350,138

BUCKET HEAD MINING MACHINE HAVING ROOF ENGAGING ANCHOR AND CONVEYOR Filed July 23,, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 3,350,138 MACHINE HAVING ROOF ENGAGI Oct. 31, 1967 c. A. WILMS BUCKET HEAD MINING I ANCHOR AND CONVEYOR Filed July 21, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 C A. WILMS MACHINE HAVING RGOF ENGAGI Oct. 31, 1967 BUCKET HEAD MINING ANCHOR AND CONVEYOR 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July 21, 1965 \w M\ 8 :ZZZZZZ Oct. 31, 1967 c. A. WILMS BUCKET HEAD MINING MACHINE HAVING ROOF ENGAGI ANCHOR AND CONVEYOR Filed July 21, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 United States Patent Ofifice 3,35%,138 Patented Get. 31, 1967 BUCKET HEAD MINING MACHINE HAVING ROOF ENGAGING ANCHOR AND CONVEYOR Carl A. Wilms, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor to Smith Industries International, Inc., a corporation of California Filed July 21, 1965, Ser. No. 473,617 4 Claims. (Cl. 299-67) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLGSURE A self-propelled excavating machine having a supporting structure carrying two distinct rotatable frames respectively having a common vertical rotational axis; one frame carries a boom pivotally mounted thereto for movement in a vertical arc along with a hydraulic cylinder adapted to raise and lower the boom and a counterweight extending in a direction opposite from the boom. The boom carries an excavating bucket wheel rotatably mounted at one end along with motors adapted to rotatably drive the bucket wheel and a conveyor adapted to receive the material excavated by the bucket wheel and transport such to a discharge end. The other rotatable frame carries a conveying structure having a receiving end positioned to receive the excavated material as it is discharged from the boom conveyor and a hydraulic jack having a cylinder and piston located along the pivotal axis of the frames to engage and exert a force against an overlying surface for anchoring purposes.

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for excavating material underground by means of a bucket wheel type excavator which rotates in a plane perpendicular to the cutting face at the area of cutting contact between the face and the excavator wheel.

Accordingly, a primary object of the invention is to provide a. method ofiunderground excavating using a rigid wheel excavatorhaving open bottom buckets in which thecuttings, after separation from the face, are transferred laterally onto removal means and then transferred rearwardly to a discharge area.

Another object is to provide a method of excavating in which right angle turns can be made without clearance cutting of the turn corners.

Yet a further object is to provide a bucket wheel type excavating machine especially adapted forcutting relatively soft material and semi-hard rook such as salt, potash and coal slate.

Yet a further object is to provide means for locking a wheel type excavating machine between the roof and floor of an underground mining passage whereby the machine may be maintained in proper operating position even when heavy torque forces are applied to the machine frame from the wheel.

Another object is to provide a machine for carrying out the above-mentioned excavating methods.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from a reading of the following description of the invention.

The invention is illustrated more or less diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURES 1A and 1B, taken together, are a side elevation of the excavating machine in an underground mining operation;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of a portion of the excavating machine; and

FIGURES 3A, 3B, and 3C are a diagrammatic, top plan view showing a method of turning a corner.

Like reference numerals will be used to refer to like parts throughout the following description of the invention.

The excavating machine includes a bucket type excavator wheel, indicated generally at 11, a wheel boom, indicated generally at 12, and wheel support structure, indicated generally at 13. The machine is mounted on crawlers 14 and 15, and cuttings removal means are indicated at 16 and 17.

The bucket wheel includes a bucket frame indicated generally at 20. The frame includes a drive tube housing 21 which is welded or otherwise suitably secured at its outer end to an annular shaped plate 22. A bucket mounting frame is indicated generally at 23, the frame in this instance consisting of an inner and an outer member 24 and 25. These two plates are arranged one within the other, and they are formed in the shape of a frustum of a cone. Internal rigidity is provided by a generally conically shaped internal supporting member or members 26 A plurality of excavating buckets are indicated at 28a through 28h. Each bucket is mounted by any suitable means to the bucket mounting frame 23. As best seen in FIGURE 2, the buckets are of an open bottom construction, each open bottom overlying correspondingly shaped apertures formed in the inner and outer members 24 and 25 of the mounting frame 23. By this construction material which is dug by the bucket teeth drops through the bucket bottom and bucket mounting frame assembly and against the deflector 26.

The bucket wheel is driven by a hydraulic motor system which includes a plurality of hydraulic motors, one of which is indicated at 34. It should be understood that any suitable number of motors may be employed. In the preferred embodiment herein disclosed, four motors have been provided.

Each hydraulic motor 34 is connected to a planetary gear box 35 which provides any suitable gear reduction ratio. A 30 to 1 ratio may be advantageously employed, for example, but it will be understood that it is within the ability of one skilled in the art to select the proper ratio, depending upon the arrangement and components of the drive system. Each gear box drives a pinion gear which in turn drives a ring gear, indicated generally at 37. Ring gear 37 in turn is welded or otherwise suitably connectd to a hollow drive tube 38 which in turn is welded or otherwise suitably connected to the drive tube housing 21. It will thus be apparent that upon actuation of the hydraulic motors 34 the wheel 11 will be driven through drive tube 38.

A straddle mounting arrangement is employed to support the wheel and its driving mechanism. The system includes a stationary shaft 40, the ends of which are journaled in bearings 41 and 42. The bearings in turn are mounted in housing 43, 44 which are part of the wheel boom 12. Specifically, each housing consists of a stationary, outer tubular member or sleeve 46 which may rotate with respect to outer sleeve 45. Sleeve 46, bearing 41, and inner and outer plates 47 and 48 are formed as a unit so that the housing assembly may rotate with respect to the wheel boom as the wheel boom is el vated and lowered during operation.

A wheel shield is indicated generally at 49, the purpose of which is to reduce dust and dirt formation in the wheel area and facilitate the operators view at the cutting face.

An operators seat is indicated at 50 and a control board at 51.

The boom and the wheel are mounted to the wheel support structure 13 by a shaft 52 which pivotally connects the inner end of the wheel boom to a pair of mounting lugs 53, 54 which" extend outwardly from the Wheel support structure. The wheel support structure includes a structural frame 55 which is mounted by any suitable means such as bearing frame 57, on the wheel support structure 13 and thereby on the crawlers 14 and 15. Since mechanisms for mounting wheel support structures and other similar structure to crawler assemblies are well known in the art, the details are not here illustrated and described. Frame 55 does not rotate during the wheel swing cycle, but is adjustable to facilitate positioning of the rear discharge conveyor.

Circular chute structure 56 carried by frame 55 rotates on bearing frame 57. The bearing frame 57 in turn is supported on bearings 58, 59 from the main frame 60 of the wheel support structure 12. As shown in FIG- URES 1A, 1B, and 2, lugs 53 and 54 are mounted to a generally circular frame structure 61 which is generally rectangular in cross-section. The frame 61 is adapted to rotate on and be supported from the main frame 6%) by suitable bearings 62 and 63 as shown in FIGURES 1A, 1B, and 2. Since mechanisms, such as a pinion gear, bevel gear and other like devices for imparting rotational movement to rotatable frames such as 61 and 57, 55 are well known in the art, the details are not herein illustrated and described.

A hydraulic jack assembly is indicated generally at 65. The jack includes piston means 66 which reciprocate ing cylinder 67. It will be noted that when the piston means 66 is extended, a generally vertically directed force is applied against the overlying surface 68. An equal and oppositely directed force will be exerted from the overlying surface onto the piston, and similar vertically directed forces will be exerted by the crawler treads against the underlying surface 69. The vertical loads are borne by the vertical thrust bearing 59. It will be noted that cylinder 67 forms a part of frame 55 and that the cylinder 67, and thereby frame 55, is rotatable with respect to piston 66. It is therefore possible to swing the frame 55 with respect to main frame member 60 while the piston is in the extended condition of the figures.

The cuttings removal means 16 and 17 are advantageously drag chain conveyors. Conveyor 16 includes a deflector sheet 71 which directs material received from wheel 11 onto the drag chain conveyor 16. A tail pulley 72 of the conveyor is located well beneath the axis of rotation of the wheel and the head pulley 73 is located well above the circular chute 56. Side plates 74, 75 confine the cuttings as they move up the wheel conveyor 16.

The discharge conveyor 17 is also preferably a drag chain conveyor which rotates about tail pulley 76 and head pulley 77. The tail pulley is so contoured that it Will clear the rear section 78 which contains the necessary equipment for generating power and a counterweight.

The wheel boom 12 may be raised or lowered by any suitable mechanism with respect to the wheel support structure 13. In the illustrated embodiment, a hydraulic jack 79 is conected by a pin 81 at its lower end to a lug 80 which extends outwardly from the wheel support structure. The piston 82 is connected by pin 83 to the wheel boom 12.

The use and operation of the invention are as follows:

To make a forward cut, the machine is disposed in substantially the position illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2. By suitable manipulation of the controls the operator causes the wheel boom 12 to swing back and forth between any predetermined arc which, by suitable proportioning of the parts, can have a maximum range of swing of up to 180, or even beyond. For reasons which will be explained shortly, it is preferable to arrange the Wheel boom to swing through an arc of greater than 180.

To prepare for operation, the discharge conveyor 17 is positioned in a desired relationship with respect to main frame 60 and the crawlers 14 and 15. The hydraulic jack assembly 65 is then actuated to exert a generally vertically directed force which locks or rigidifics the machine in the position shown in FIGURE 1. Hydraulic jack 79 may then be actuated to raise or lower the wheel 11 at any desired cutting elevation. As the wheel rotates, the material dug by the buckets will fall through the openings in plates 24, 25 which are beneath the open bottoms of the buckets, strike deflector 26 within the wheel and deflector sheet 71 associated with the wheel boom conveyor. The material is deflected generally laterally onto the drag chain conveyor 16 from whence it is elevated to the head or discharge end of the conveyor. The material is discharged into the circular chute 56, the walls of which deflect the cuttings onto the drag chain conveyor 17. Any suitable removal apparatus may be positioned beneath the head or discharge end of drag chain conveyor 17 to convey the cuttings from the machines.

During operation wheel 11 is swung back and forth through a range of movement which can be readily controlled by the operator through control panel 51. The are of swing will, of course, be large enough to accommodate the width of the machine and may extend a full 180 so that a passage considerably wider than the machine is long may be formed.

To turn a right angle corner it is not necessary to make any clearance cuts.

The machine is shown in FIGURE 3A as it would be positioned at the start of making a cross-cut. That is, the crawler treads 14 and 15 have been disposed at substantially a 45 angle with respect to the longitudinal axis 85 of entry 86. The removal conveyor 17 has been positioned at an angle with respect to main frame 60 so that it discharges substantially in the center of entry 86. The operator then regulates the horizontal swing of the wheel to take the out shown.

In position 3B, the treads 14 and 15 have been located generally parallel to the longitudinal axis 87 of the crosscut 88. The angle of the removal conveyor 17 has been changed slightly from position A in order to keep the conveyor discharging along the center line of entry 86.

In position 3C, the corner has been completely turned and the operator has set a horizontal wheel swing which cuts an equal amount on either side of cross-cut axis 87. As the machine inches forward in small increments, the removal conveyor 17 may be gradually swung counterclockwise as viewed in FIGURE 3C to position its discharge pulley directly on the axis 87 of the cross-cut 88.

From the above description, it will at once be apparent that a right angle corner can be turned without clearance cutting at the corner edges. Since the width of the swath or passageway that the machine can cut is wider than the machine is long, and the curved buckets are as well adapted to cut along their side teeth as their front teeth, it is not necessary to make clearance cuts because the machine is completely maneuverable within the width of passage it can cut under its own power.

Although a preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it will at once be apparent to those skilled in the art that further modifications may be made within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, it is intended that the scope of the invention be limited not by the scope of the foregoing exemplary description, but solely by the scope of the hereinafter appended claims.

What is claimed:

1. A self-propelled excavating machine especially adapted for underground operation, said machine including, in combination:

a supporting structure;

means carried by said supporting structure to enable self-propelled movement of said structure;

a first frame carried by said supporting structure and adapted for rotary motion about a generally vertical axis, said first frame including a wheel boom pivotally mounted on one end thereof to said first frame for movement in a generally vertical are, an oppositely extending counterweight adapted to stabilize said machine, and means for raising and lowering said wheel boom;

said wheel boom carrying a bucket wheel rotatably mounted thereto, motor means in driving engagement with said bucket wheel to impart rotary motion to said bucket wheel, and first conveying means for receiving, transporting, and discharging the material excavated by said bucket wheel; with said bucket wheel having a plurality of buckets peripherally attached thereto; and

a second rotatable frame carried by said supporting structure about a rotational axis generally colinear with said first frame rotational axis and formed with second conveying means adapted to receive the excavated material upon discharge from the first conveying means and anchor means adapted to engage an overlying surface and exert a force thereagainst suflicient to anchor said machine during excavating operation.

2. The structure of claim 1 further characterized in that said anchor means includes a hydraulic jack having piston means and cylinder means adapted to exert a vertical force having a line of action generally colinear with said first and second frame rotational axis.

3. The structure of claim 1 further characterize-d in that said bucket wheel further comprises:

an annular generally U-shaped channel structure having an inner circumferential surface adapted for concentrically mounting said annular channel structure to a shaft and an outer circumferential surface adapted to mount said buckets,

said outer circumferential surface having at least one opening formed therein associated with each said bucket, each said opening communicating with its respective bucket so that as the material is excavated by said buckets it passes through said openings into said annular channel and hence to the receiving end of said first conveying means.

4. The structure of claim 3 further characterized in that said annular generally U-shaped channel structure is formed with a concentric conical deflection plate inwardly of said channel structure to deflect the material excavated toward the receiving end of said first conveying means after it passes through said outer circumferential openings.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,425,913 8/1922 Straight 29967 3,035,821 5/1962 Peterson 299-67 3,091,874 6/1963 Wuigk 37-190 3,169,796 2/1965 Long et al. 299-31 FOREIGN PATENTS 900,683 1/1954 Germany. 886,276 1/ 1962 Great Britain.

ERNEST R. PURSER, Primary Examiner. 

1. A SELF-PROPELLED EXCAVATING MACHINE ESPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR UNDERGROUND OPERATION, SAID MACHINE INDLUDING, IN COMBINATION: A SUPPORTING STRUCTURE; MEANS CARRIED BY SAID SUPPORTING STRUCTURE TO ENABLE SELF-PROPELLED MOVEMENT OF SAID STRUCTURE; A FIRST FRAME CARRIED BY SAID SUPPORTING STRUCTURE AND ADAPTED FOR ROTARY MOTION ABOUT A GENERALLY VERTICAL AXIS, SAID FIRST FRAME INCLUDING A WHEEL BOOM PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON ONE END THEREOF TO SAID FIRST FRAME FOR MOVEMENT IN A GENERALLY VERTICAL ARC, AND OPPOSITELY EXTENDING COUNTERWEIGHT ADAPTED TO SATBILIZE SAND MACHINE, AND MEANS FOR RAISING AND LOWERING SAID WHEEL BOOM; SAID WHEEL BOOM CARRYING A BUCKET WHEEL ROTATABLY MOUNTED THERETO, MOTOR MEANS IN DRIVING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID BUCKET WHEEL TO IMPART ROTARY MOTION TO SAID BUCKET WHEEL , AND FIRST CONVEYING MEANS FOR RECEIVING, TRANSPORTING, AND DISCHARGING THE MATERIAL EXCAVATED BY SAID BUCKET WHEEL; WITH 